Monday Night Raw. For three decades, the red brand has welcomed wrestling fans every Monday night, with hours upon hours of action.
Tonight, WWE celebrates three decades of the red brand, and we’ve created a timeline of some essential viewing from Raw’s three decades of history.
Mr. Perfect Vs. Ric Flair (January 25, 1993)
On the third episode ever, Mr. Perfect and Ric Flair delivered a must-see match for any wrestling fan worth their salt. Perfect’s trademark Perfect-plex would secure Hennig the victory in this Loser Leaves WWF match and it’d be eight years before fans saw the Nature Boy again.
WWF Champion Bret Hart Vs. The 1-2-3 Kid (July 11, 1994)
The man fans would later know as X-Pac, Sean Waltman was the WWF’s resident underdog, but that didn’t stop him from pushing the Hitman to the limit, in what Jim Ross would call one of the greatest matches he’d ever seen.
Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart (March 27, 1995)
A rematch from their WrestleMania X epic, the Hart brothers once again proved to be wrestling royalty with this No Holds Barred collision. On this occasion, it’d be Owen who would lose, tapping to his brother’s Sharpshooter, and Bret’s reluctance to break the hold would give fans a glimpse to a darker side of the Hitman.
The Undertaker Vs. Mankind (December 9, 1996)
Over a year and a half before their Hell in a Cell classic at King of the Ring 1998, Mankind and the Phenom gave fans a taste of what was to come in 1996. Meeting in No Holds Barred, the Undertaker emerged victorious, and even a random appearance by The Executioner post-match couldn’t spoil this forgotten classic.
Owen Hart Vs. The British Bulldog (March 3, 1997)
Brothers-in-law and the WWF Tag Champions, these connections didn’t stop Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith fighting tooth and nail to become the first European Champion. Fittingly taking place in Europe (Berlin, Germany to be exact) it was Bulldog who made history with a reversed roll-up.
WWF Champion Kane Vs. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin (June 28, 1998)
One night after winning the very-first First Blood match, new WWF Champion Kane accepted a challenge for a rematch from Stone Cold. Kane’s reign may have ended after just one day, but he and the Rattlesnake had one of the greatest title matches in Raw history.
WWF Champion The Rock Vs. Mankind (January 4, 1999)
The same day as the Fingerpoke of doom which drove a nail in the coffin of WCW, Mick Foley’s dream culminated on Raw with his WWF title win. Throw in the talented Rock, DX and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, and this match certainly put ‘butts in seats.’
WWF Champion Triple H Vs. Chris Jericho (April 17, 2000)
A controversial finish saw Chris Jericho become WWF Champion less than a year into his tenure with the company. The decision would not stand for long, but it was an epic night that showed Jericho knew how to play the Game.
WWF World Tag Team Champions ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin & Triple H Vs. Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit (May 21, 2001)
The infamous match where Triple H suffered his first quad tear, this bout may not be for the squeamish, but the four men put on an excellent match. The fact that Triple H toughened it out and completed the match after the tear makes this an all time classic.
WWE Undisputed Champion The Undertaker Vs. Jeff Hardy (June 1, 2002)
Meeting in Hardy’s speciality, the Ladder match, it was the Deadman who was at a disadvantage on this night. That didn’t stop the American Badass from retaining, but it was Hardy who left with the respect of the Phenom and the fans.
World Heavyweight Champion Triple H Vs. Kane (June 23, 2003)
For years, fans wondered what Kane looked like under his mask, and on this fateful 2003 night, they got the answer. In this mask vs. title match, Triple H left with all the prizes, and it’d be RVD who’d feel Kane’s wrath post-match inside MSG.
Shelton Benjamin Vs. Triple H (March 29, 2004)
Mere days after being drafted to Raw, established tag-team wrestler Shelton Benjamin looked to make a huge first impression by facing Triple H. Fresh off losing the World Championship at WrestleMania 20, fans expected the Game to win, but it was all about the Benjamins on this night.
John Cena, Hulk Hogan & Shawn Michaels Vs. Christian, Chris Jericho & Tyson Tomko (June 27, 2005)
Our only six-man-tag match on this list, this match is worth viewing for the dream-team of Hogan, Michaels, and Cena. The three generations of top guys made for an epic main event trio in 2005.
WWE Champion Rob Van Dam Vs. Edge Vs. John Cena (July 3, 2006)
Oh RVD! It was all going so well for Mr. PPV until he was pulled over by police and arrested. Van Dam’s brief reign as WWE Champion ended on this night, but at least fans got to see an epic triple threat and a title change on Raw.
WWE Champion John Cena Vs. Shawn Michaels (April 23, 2007)
John Cena’s third must-see match in a row (not bad for a guy who apparently can’t wrestle.) This non-title match started like any other, but as the match went on, fans knew this was special. A rematch from WrestleMania 23, Michaels got the win over Cena after close to an hour, proving Sweet Chin Music can come from nowhere.
Jeff Hardy Vs. Umaga (January 7, 2008)
The first Raw of 2007 would help set the tone for a huge year as two of the red brand’s most talented stars faced off in a cage. The ever-popular Hardy’s dive off the top of the cage would seal the deal and somehow make Jeff even more beloved by fans.
Chris Jericho & The Big Show Vs. Triple H & Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker & John Cena (November 16, 2009)
A match with six of WWE’s biggest ever Superstars, it was fitting that this bout happened inside Madison Square Garden. Cena and the Deadman may have gotten the win, but the post-match Tombstone on Big Match John proved that the Phenom was not there to make friends.
WWE Champion The Miz Vs. Jerry Lawler (November 30, 2010)
Meeting in a TLC match of all things, this bout seemed on paper to be the creation of a WWE 2K game gone wrong. Instead, Lawler held his own against the Miz in this title match, and would’ve won if not for Michael Cole. Not bad for the King, who had turned 60 just one day before the match.
Rey Mysterio Vs. The Miz (July 25, 2011)
Sure, Rey winning the vacant WWE Championship wasn’t a long reign, as he would lose the title to John Cena later in the show, but he and Miz put on a worthy title match and gave the fans a feel-good moment with one of WWE’s most beloved Superstars.
CM Punk Vs. Daniel Bryan (February 28, 2012)
A meeting of the WWE Champion and the World Heavyweight Champion, this would have meant a lot no matter who was in the ring. The fact that this was two guys who had been told they’d never make it in WWE was the icing on the cake. Oh, and the match is great too!
John Cena Vs. CM Punk (February 25, 2013)
CM Punk’s reign as WWE Champion being ended by a part-timer irked fans for valid reasons, but his quest to regain the title gave us this fantastic match. Fans were wowed to see a piledriver on WWE TV in 2013, and though Punk didn’t earn a title match, this was a fitting epilogue on his epic reign.
Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns Vs. Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper & Erick Rowan (March 3, 2014)
Like their match at Elimination Chamber (which received ‘this is awesome’ chants before a single punch was thrown) The Shield Vs. the Wyatts II lived up to lofty expectations. After teases of dissension, this match proved the Hounds of Justice were stronger than ever, if only for a few more months…
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins Vs. Neville (August 3, 2015)
Responding to John Cena’s U.S. title open challenge, Seth Rollins laid out an open challenge of his own. While Neville (now PAC) didn’t leave with the gold, the gasp of excitement when fans thought he’d won with the Red Arrow makes this match worth seeing.
WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair Vs. Sasha Banks (July 25, 2016)
The first Monday Night Raw of the post-draft era, fans were treated to seeing Sasha Banks capture the WWE Women’s Championship from the Queen. Banks was massively popular with fans at the time, and her win was a sign that she had arrived on the main roster.
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair Vs. Bayley (February 13, 2017)
If Sasha Banks was popular at the time of her title win the prior year, then Bayley was a supernova of over with her 2017 victory. Dispatching of Dana Brooke at ringside, Bayley’s win would be the feel-good moment of the year.
‘Woken’ Matt Hardy Vs. Bray Wyatt (March 19, 2018)
At a tine when WWE was arguably it’s most stale, Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt shook things up with the Ultimate Deletion. A drone, a lake and reincarnation and a cameo by Reby Hardy makes this one of the most bizarre, but must-see matches in Raw history.
Rey Mysterio Vs. Cesaro (May 13, 2019)
No titles were needed in this instant classic, which with no gold and no stipulation, has gone overlooked by fans. From the high-flying of Rey to Cesaro’s incredible counters, this match is just one whole match of highlights.
WWE Champion Randy Orton Vs. Drew McIntyre (November 16, 2020)
Drew McIntyre’s emotional return to WWE culminated with his WrestleMania 36 WWE Title win, albeit in front of zero fans. McIntyre carried WWE through unprecedented times, and was rewarded with his second title win on Raw in the Thunderdome. Here’s hoping he one day gets that big win in front of a real crowd.
Seth Rollins Vs. Finn Balor Vs. Kevin Owens Vs. Rey Mysterio (October 25, 2021)
A fatal-four-way ladder match? On Raw?! Yes please! Four of WWE’s most popular stars in recent years met in a truly stacked main event. Not only did the right person win (but we won’t spoil who) everybody had their chance to shine in this ladder match.
Raw Tag Team Champions Chad Gable & Otis Vs. Randy Orton & Matt Riddle Vs. Kevin Owens & Seth Rollins (March 7, 2022)
Not just a fantastic match in 2022, but this may hold the distinction as the best Raw opener ever! Three incredibly over teams showing just how good a Raw tag team division can be. RK-Bro’s victory and regaining the Raw Tag Titles was the perfect call!
